Mushrooms are a priceless gift given to us by nature. They come from the wonders and mysteries that our entire organic world has.

Mushrooms are an independent kingdom in this big world, it contains about 100 thousand species. One of them is called common boletus. It looks very nice, even in the photos it is quite attractive.

Common boletus: a brief description

In nature, there are close to forty species of boletus. For a long time, the common boletus has been considered the largest in size and the most valuable in its group. in each locality they are called by different names: blackhead or obabok. He is one of the best, if you do not take into account the close relative of which he is and has a great resemblance to him.

The common boletus differs from others in its slimy hat of red-brown color, which in dry weather shines against the sun. In a young mushroom, it has a convex shape, similar to a sphere. The pores are white, sometimes becoming creamy. As the hat grows, it becomes pillow-shaped, decrepit, reaches a large size, an experienced mushroom picker is unlikely to put such a find in his basket.

The leg is 70-160 cm high, 15-30 mm thick, white, with brown scales on top, thickened below.

The flesh is odorless, tasteless, white-cream in color, which does not change when cut.

Mushrooms grow very quickly, full maturity occurs on the seventh day, and after two or three days they become unusable.

Common boletus: places of growth

The boletus has a "speaking name", pronouncing which, one can unmistakably name the place of its settlement - where birches grow.

Mushrooms of this species begin to grow at the very beginning of summer and yield until late autumn. In some years, their abundance is found in deciduous, birch and mixed forests. There are times when boletus boletus settle where spruce grows.

If summer and autumn turn out to be warm and rainy, one can hope for a big harvest, especially under young birches. Collecting boletus is easy and convenient, they are always in sight and never hide in the grass.

Application in cooking

Mushroom pickers, going out on a quiet hunt, always have a desire to see a boletus in their basket. The use in cooking is wide: it is dried, boiled, pickled. It has a pleasant smell, tasty in itself, only young mushrooms are suitable for salting.

The main value is the presence of protein, essential amino acids, vitamins, which helps to remove everything unnecessary from the body, like a vacuum cleaner.

Before you start cooking mushroom dishes, you need to know some rules.

How long to boil? If the mushrooms are young, you can not boil them, but if they are old, the cooking time should be 20 minutes.
. How to clean them? The leg of the common boletus should be cleaned, removing the roughness or spongy layers by scraping, if the mushroom is old.
. How to cook? There are many recipes for dishes that include mushrooms. The common boletus is equated to white, and their use in cooking is the same. You can cook in sour cream, with potatoes, in soup, add to salads.
. It is necessary to process mushrooms as quickly as possible, literally within four to five hours after collection.

Health benefits

IN traditional medicine The boletus mushroom has long been known. The description of its influence on important vital functions of a person was set out in ancient books.

Obabok has been known to mushroom pickers for a long time, it attracts not only with its good taste, but also with the presence of useful properties: the ability to remove toxins from the body and maintain kidney function in good condition.

Boletus is effective in the treatment nervous system. It is allowed to be used in diet food due to its ability to regulate blood sugar. Those who add common boletus (mushrooms) to their diet, have healthy beautiful skin, and who want to lose extra pounds, can also eat boletus, which are too low in calories.

Mushrooms are contraindicated to be eaten by people who have a stomach ulcer or intestinal disease, and in cases of intolerance, it is also forbidden for children.

Common boletus is a very tasty mushroom, you can not argue with that. Dry it, cook it tasty, treat people close to you, feed them plenty. Such a treat will be much better and healthier than candy. Let the mushrooms grow and multiply, and, perhaps, in difficult lean years they will help fill our bins.

Kira Stoletova

The boletus mushroom is one of the most delicious and healthy basidiomycetes. With its qualitative characteristics, it is equated to the kings of the forest - porcini mushrooms. Belongs to the Boletov family, the genus Obabok. In our forests, the boletus mushroom is represented by several species. All of them are edible, but differ in taste.

general characteristics

The cap of the mushroom is matte, has a hemispherical shape, painted in a grayish or pale chocolate color. As they grow older, it begins to resemble a pillow. Its diameter can reach 18 cm. With an increase in humidity, sticky mucus appears on the surface of the cap.

The boletus looks like a boletus. The main differences are the shape of the legs, the color scheme of the hat. The long dense and fibrous leg, expanding in the lower part, reaches 9-12 cm in height. The color of the legs is off-white. In the lower part, its surface is covered with small dark scales.

The hymenophore is tubular. It is painted white, as it grows older it becomes gray, watery-loose. The flesh is white and has a greenish tinge. On the cut, when exposed to air, it becomes slightly gray. Exudes a pleasant mushroom aroma.

In young specimens, the fruiting body is dense and delicate in taste, in old specimens it is loose, contains a large number of moisture. The boletus grows singly or in groups. The harvest season starts in May-June, depending on the region, and ends in late autumn. Spring boletus appears very first.

Kinds

There are more than 40 types of boletus. The most popular with mushroom pickers:

• common boletus;
• boletus marsh or white;
• boletus pinkish or oxidizing;
• boletus gray or hornbeam;
• black boletus, which is popularly called blackhead;
• boletus multicolored.

On the territory of Russia, the most famous are the common boletus and the hornbeam. In addition to them, there are 7 more varieties. All types of boletus are edible mushrooms.

False boletus, dangerous to human health, is distinguished by the pink color of the hymenophore in old representatives. In a young false boletus, the hymenophore is white. Young specimens are recognized by pressing on the spore-bearing layer: if it turns pink, then the fungus is poisonous.

Obabok birch

Common boletus - hat-leg edible mushroom growing in birch plantings, deciduous, mixed forests. His hat is domed, diameter - 15 cm. The boletus has a hat color from dark chocolate to grayish, which depends on the region in which he lives. The surface of the cap is thin felt or bare.

The hymenophore is tubular, easily separated from the lower part of the cap. Young hymenophore white color, becomes greyish as it matures. Spores are olive-brown. The fruit body is white, does not change color at all or acquires a slightly pink tint when cut.

Bolotnik

Marsh boletus or white birch, growing in small groups or singly in humid areas, located on the outskirts of swamps and lakes. Appears in September after heavy rain. Fruits until the end of autumn. Forms mycorrhiza with birch root system.

The cap of the swamp in diameter reaches 12 cm. The shape is convex, then pillow-shaped. The surface is dry, white or off-white. The old bog is painted greenish-gray. Such specimens are no longer collected.

In young mushrooms, the hymenophore is tubular, gray-green. The pulp is watery, white, loose structure, does not change color on the cut. Exudes a mushroom aroma. The leg is high, thin, slightly expanded at the bottom. Painted white, covered with small scales.

Boletus pinkish (oxidizing)

Pinking boletus (edible mushroom) forms mycorrhiza with tree and shrub birches. Gather p. turning pink in the northern forests, where he prefers to grow on the slopes of groves, in the highlands, on waterlogged soils. Appears in the forests in autumn after heavy rains. It has a small hat, painted in yellow-brown color. The tubular hymenophore is white and later becomes gray.

The white stem is shorter when compared to other mushrooms in this genus. Its surface is covered with a large number of gray scales. In some instances, the legs are bent to the side, from where more light falls. The pulp is white, dense, reddens on the cut.

Irina Selyutina (Biologist):

This type of boletus is characterized by a peculiar “marble” color of the cap: brown areas are interspersed with lighter and even almost white in color. It is she who distinguishes the pinking item from the ordinary one during appearance. These mushrooms are also known in the northern part Western Europe.

Grabovik

The gray boletus is popularly called the hornbeam. A young specimen, growing in the same area where the item is oxidized, is distinguished by a wrinkled structure of a hemispherical cap, its diameter is 6-15 cm. Its color palette is diverse. The surface of the hat can be painted in the following colors:

• grey;
• yellow;
• black;
• olive brown.

The stalk, 6-18 cm high, is initially strongly swollen, later becomes cylindrical, narrowed downwards. When pressed, it takes on a darker tone. Gray boletus mushrooms form mycorrhiza (fungal root) with birches, oaks, beeches and nuts. The collection begins in the month of June, when the mountain ash blossoms.

blackhead

These mushrooms, growing on wet and swampy soils, are called "black" for dark color hats. Worms of this species are very rare, which distinguishes them from other representatives of the genus.

The first mushrooms appear in the summer. The peak of fruiting is observed in September. If the summer was dry, they will not appear.

Description of black boletus mushroom:

• hat 16 cm in diameter, matte black or chocolate brown;
• the surface of the fruiting body is dry, velvety to the touch, after rain and with increasing humidity - sticky, slimy;
• the pulp has a hardish structure, the pores of the hymenophore turn blue on the cut;
• the leg is off-white, thickened, about 12 cm high.

Obabok color (multi-colored)

The main symbiont for the formation of mycorrhiza is birch, the secondary one is beech, aspen. Boletus Multicolored is painted in gray-white color, with pronounced strokes on the surface of the cap. In diameter, it reaches 12 cm.

The flesh is white, on the cut after a while it turns pink. The smell is barely perceptible. The tubular hymenophore is finely porous. Spores are light brown.

Irina Selyutina (Biologist):

If we compare the common boletus and the multi-colored boletus, then the second one has a more compact size, which is expressed in a smaller diameter of the cap, height and thickness of the stem. As the fungus matures, the cap changes from closed to slightly convex. The taste of the pulp is pleasant, although weak. The tubules of the hymenophore are finely porous, light gray in young specimens, light brown in adults, and dark spots may appear on them. When pressed, the tubes change color - turn pink. The length of the stem of a multi-colored item depends on the height of the moss in which they grow.

Fruiting from June to October, they are found mainly in swamps and mossy forest areas.

Beneficial features

high the nutritional value And low calorie make these mushrooms indispensable ingredients in the diet of people who want to lose weight or gain muscle mass. The fibrous pulp after heat treatment resembles the taste of meat. IN chemical composition boletus includes a protein that includes 8 essential amino acids, which human body unable to synthesize on its own.

The pulp of the mushroom includes 35% protein, about 14% glucose, 4% fat, 25% fiber. Among the useful properties of the fungus, the presence in the composition of a large number of trace elements and vitamins is noted:

• thiamine;
• zinc;
• nicotinic acid (vitamin PP, vitamin B5, niacin);
• vitamins of group B, C, D, E, A;
• magnesium;
• sodium;
• phosphorus;
• iron;
• manganese.

This species holds the record for manganese content. Phosphoric (orthophosphoric) acid, present in the composition, has a positive effect on the functioning of the musculoskeletal system due to participation in the construction of enzymatic cells. White mushroom (boletus) and boletus are considered competitive specimens. They are actively used in folk and traditional medicine for a long time.

Contraindications

As such, there are no contraindications to the use of birch, but it is prohibited for individual intolerance. It is undesirable to prepare such food for children under 8 years of age and people suffering from stomach ulcers. The fiber contained in mushrooms is digested for too long, which can cause the stomach to “stop” in babies.

You should not collect boletus in forests located near factories, landfills, in in public places and close to the highway. They accumulate toxins in themselves. An overripe mushroom is also dangerous.

Application

The boletus is ranked among the delicacy types of mushrooms, so most people only know about its use in cooking. In fact, this representative of basidiomycetes can be a good substitute medicines. The content of fiber and protein makes it possible to prepare dietary supplements for athletes on its basis.

The boletus will be useful in agriculture. After burning mushroom bodies, ash is formed, which contains calcium, phosphorus, zinc and nitrogen, which ensures stable nutrition and does not allow the soil to lose its quality. Mushroom products are suitable for compound feed for cattle, pigs and poultry.

In cooking

The product must be processed before use. First, it should be cleaned of adhering dirt, remove the skin, cut off the lower part of the leg. If the product needs to be dried, it should not be washed. Dirt is cleaned, and then the hat is simply wiped with a damp cloth.

So that the product prepared for gourmet dishes does not turn blue, after cleaning it is soaked in water with a small amount of lemon juice (juice from 0.5 fruit per 1 liter of water). It does not need to be soaked for several hours like milk mushrooms, 20-30 minutes is enough. Cooking technology involves double boiling. For the first time, it takes only 5 minutes to boil the product after boiling water. Then it is transferred to another pan, put Bay leaf, a whole onion, a couple of peas of allspice, cook for 20-30 minutes until fully cooked.

Boiled raw materials are used for marinating, cooking soups, mushroom caviar, salads and other dishes. For the winter, you can prepare dried mushrooms or freeze fresh or boiled products in portions. Storage requires compliance with the rules:

• dried fruits with signs of mold must be disposed of;
• frozen products are used immediately and are not re-frozen;
• when the brine becomes cloudy in the jar, the product is disposed of.

In medicine

In folk medicine, it is used in tinctures and ointments to eliminate pain in osteochondrosis or gout. Affected areas should be treated 3-4 times a day. Tinctures are taken 2-3 times a day to increase immunity and sexual activity. Separate components of basidiomycete in combination with alcohol give an analgesic effect, eliminate nervousness (i.e., they have some sedative effect).

The exceptional properties of this fungus make it possible to use it in the manufacture of drugs for weight loss. In cosmetology, an extract from it is used as a rejuvenating component.

cultivation

The cultivation of basidiomycetes is actively carried out. At home, it is easy to grow a clearing with delicacy mushrooms on a personal plot. You can plant spores collected on your own in the country or buy ready-made mycelium. Basidiomycete will bear fruit well in the area where there are birch trees from 2 to 4 years old.

If you want to collect spores with your own hands, pick up several old fruiting bodies. At a distance of 50 cm from the trunk, beds are made with a depth of 21-31 cm. Crushed stone is laid at the bottom, then coarse-grained sand and a turf mixture. All this must be covered with a layer of high-quality compost.

If the hymenophore collected from mushrooms is solid, it is better to soak it together with gelatin and dolomite flour in a ratio of 1: 0.2: 0.3. The mixture is placed in the holes, covered with compost, they should be mulched with a turf mixture on top. Stably high soil moisture is maintained within 70%. To successfully grow a product on the site, special attention should be paid to harvesting. The main thing is to make sure that the mycelium that produces shoots is not destroyed, otherwise it will be the last harvest.

An easier option is to buy a beginner's kit, which includes a special basket with "seed" material, substrate and detailed instructions. You can easily find them in any specialized store.

Acquaintance with boletus mushrooms Signs of difference

Silent hunting Mushroom picking Boletus honey agaric

False and real boletus

Conclusion

Boletus is a delicacy edible type of mushroom, including more than 40 subspecies. The name is due to the occurrence of symbiosis with birch. All representatives are rich nutrients and minerals. Today, the planting of forest basidiomycetes in summer cottages is actively practiced.

Mushroom boletus is widely eaten and grows in different climatic conditions. It has excellent taste properties in different types of preservation.

This is the closest relative of the white fungus, which differs from it in grayish or black small scales on the stem.

Experienced mushroom pickers, after picking and drying, carefully look at the state of the cut on the mushroom. If over time it darkens, this means that this mushroom is edible.

Where and when do birch trees grow

The name of the fungus is associated with the formation of microrhiza with birch, occasionally with aspen or pine. Therefore, wherever birch groves or individual trees mixed with other species grow, this type of mushroom can grow.

To find a boletus in the forest, you must remember that this mushroom does not like direct sunlight. It hides in bushes, tall grass or under a layer of fallen leaves.

Therefore, to find young individuals, you need to look closely. Or rake grass and dry leaves with a stick.

Boletus boletus appears around July and continues to grow until autumn months. rainy summer may contribute to the earlier emergence of fungi.

According to observation, each individual adds 4 cm in height per day. 6 days after emergence, it becomes too old to eat. Therefore, mushroom pickers try to go to the forest the next morning after the rain in search of young boletus.

What does a boletus look like

Poisoning by poisonous mushrooms can be fatal due to their high toxicity of the substances they release. Therefore, a novice mushroom picker should remember the main features of the mushroom they need: a hat can reach 15 cm in diameter and its color can range from gray to black, including spotted and gray-brown.

The legs of the boletus necessarily have thickenings and scales. The tubular layer of the fungus depends on age: from white in young animals to dirty brown in mature ones. The pulp of the mushroom is white or pale pink without a pronounced taste and smell.

The one who went to the forest for the first time needs to take a photo of boletus mushrooms in order to visually compare the found individual with the sample in case of doubt.

Depending on the area, the boletus may have a slightly different appearance. For example, in moist deciduous forests, mushrooms on a thin stem of olive or brown color are considered boletus.

In dry forests they have thick, scaly legs. In these cases, edibility is determined by dense and aromatic pulp. Separately, a swamp boletus with greenish hats, on thin legs with watery pulp, is isolated.

Types of mushrooms of the boletaceae family

Where does such an external variety of boletus come from? There are several varieties of this mushroom:

The cap of the common boletus has a semi-convex shape. The leg is whitish, cylindrical, with pronounced scales, 4 cm in diameter and 17 in length, at the cut point it begins to turn pink.

The gray boletus has an alternative name for the hornbeam. Its cap is brown in color, and the yellowish flesh, when broken, begins to turn blue (to a purple hue) and then blacken. Longitudinal fibers are clearly visible on the stem.

The marsh boletus, which loves wet places, is distinguished by a brown hat and a light leg. To check the mushroom for edibility, break the leg: it should not turn blue.

Despite its bright color(from pink to bright orange and brown) multi-colored boletus is not very popular among mushroom pickers. The reasons for this are not very pleasant taste and difficulties in cooking.

Black boletus stands out among its relatives due to the corresponding color. Large tubules in the porous layer and black scales on the legs are its distinguishing features.

Properly cooked black boletus will be a worthy decoration of any table.

The pinking boletus is found in North America and Europe. It is named so for the peculiarity of the pulp, which begins to turn pink in the fault zones.

White boletus is distinguished by the corresponding color of the cap and creamy flesh. This species is so unpretentious that it can be grown in the garden.

Harsh boletus grows in mixed forests. It is distinguished by a hat in a palette from gray to pale purple on a high leg. This species is loved by mushroom pickers, since the hard pulp is not very attractive to worms. And the sweetish taste of the mushroom makes it a great addition to the dinner table.

To navigate in such a variety of boletus mushrooms, the mushroom picker needs to take into account some features.

First, it is necessary to take into account the area and what types of mushrooms grow there. Secondly, it does not hurt to take a photo of a birch boletus with you, so as not to confuse an edible mushroom with its double.

The benefits of boletus

In addition to salting, these mushrooms are fried, pickled or dried. They are used as an addition to a side dish, an appetizer for holiday table or an ingredient in a soup.

Due to the presence of vitamins and nutrients, boletus can help regulate blood sugar and eliminate toxins, improve skin and hair, and calm the nervous system.

And due to their low calorie content, these mushrooms are considered a dietary product.

However, excessive use is contraindicated mushroom dishes, because due to their slow absorption, a person may have problems with the gastrointestinal tract. And to save beneficial features product, mushrooms should not be stored in galvanized containers.

How to identify false boletus

In conclusion, we will consider an important question for a novice mushroom picker: how to distinguish a real boletus from its double?

In order not to be mistaken, you should remember a few simple rules. Firstly, boletus do not like light. If you saw a similar mushroom growing in an open area, this is already a reason for doubt.

Secondly, false boletus usually tastes bitter, so the worms do not eat them. Examine the mushroom. If it is perfectly clean, with veins on the legs in the form of blood vessels, then most likely you are holding an inedible mushroom in your hands.

Thirdly, a proven way to determine whether it is a real boletus or not is to break the hat. Here, the false mushroom will immediately give itself away, starting to noticeably turn blue. And if after such an action the pulp has practically not changed, feel free to put the mushroom in a basket.

Photo of boletus mushroom

Meat for vegetarians - this is often called mushrooms by those who are aware of their beneficial properties, at least partially. The mushroom, which will be discussed further, is special. His life, as a rule, lasts no longer than 10 days, on the 7th day after his "birth" he is already considered old. And the speed of his growth can be the envy of many living beings on the planet: every day he adds about 4 cm in height and 10 g in weight. But in addition to outstanding biological characteristics, the boletus (namely, it is in question) also has many properties that are beneficial to human health.

general characteristics

Boletus is an edible mushroom from the boletaceae family. In our latitudes, it is considered one of the most common. In different areas, people give this mushroom different folk names. And if you ever have to hear about gray or black mushrooms, blackheads, spikelets, haymakers, grandmas or birch trees, you can be sure that we are talking about the same mushrooms - boletus mushrooms.

Experienced mushroom pickers can recognize the boletus by its convex, hard hat (in adult mushrooms it is about 15 cm in diameter), which ranges from almost black or brown to olive or gray. But still, the distinguishing feature of these mushrooms is the leg: oblong with dark scales (as if it resembles a tree trunk, under which it most often grows). In height, an adult mushroom can reach 15 cm.

Biologists say that today they know about the existence of 12 species of boletus. Most often, representatives of this mushroom family can be found in mixed or deciduous forests dominated by birches. The range of boletus is Eurasia, North and South America, as well as forest-tundra and tundra. Favorite places of these mushrooms are well-lit glades, edges, roadsides and roadsides.

The fact that it is time to gather for a “quiet hunt” for boletus mushroom pickers warns ... bird cherry. It is after the flowering of this tree that you can go to the forest for the first mushrooms and continue to collect bolets until October.

mushroom varieties

The most popular are common boletus. They appear in the forests very first (sometimes even in May). The representative of this species is the largest, prefers the neighborhood of birch groves. By the way, such a “cohabitation” is beneficial for both: mushrooms draw carbohydrates from a tree, and a birch gets an assistant for the breakdown of some complex substances.

Closer to autumn, you can count on the harvest of turning pink birch (starting in August). This fungus usually lives in pine-birch forests, loves peat and terrain along swamps. Unlike ordinary boletus, this species does not grow directly under the tree, but in places where the young roots of the plant grow. You can recognize it by the pulp, turning pink on the cut.

Swamp birch trees are late autumn mushrooms. As the name already implies, they live near swamps and in other wet places. Meanwhile, mushroom pickers do not indulge this mushroom with their attention. Firstly, it is very difficult to get to it, and secondly, the taste of marsh boletus is not the best - the habitat affects it. It is easy to recognize this mushroom by its dirty gray hat and thin stem; it rarely reaches more than 5 cm in height.

The black boletus is very similar to turning pink, its hat is darker - almost black. Tundra - the smallest representative of the "podbirch" family. Its cap, as a rule, does not grow more than 5 cm in diameter, and the color can vary from off-white to darker shades. The leg, like that of other representatives of the "genus", is covered with dark scales.

The nutritional value

The main advantage of boletus is highly nutritious proteins, which consist of important for humans. These mushrooms will provide the body to the fullest with all the essential amino acids, including, and. Researchers say that these mushrooms may contain from 15 to 35% of all known amino acids.

In addition, these mushrooms contain a large amount of phosphoric acid - a substance necessary for correct formation musculoskeletal system and enzyme production. The unique composition of this product makes it important for maintaining the health of the cells of the nervous system and skin. Boletus mushrooms prevent kidney disease, inflammation and drying of the mucous membranes, regulate the concentration in the bloodstream. The nutritional complex of these mushrooms consists of vitamins B, C, D, E, which allows them to be classified as products with antioxidant properties. And being an excellent source of fiber, mushrooms have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the digestive organs, in particular the intestines.

So, the boletus will provide the body with:

But this product contains practically no calories. In 100 g of mushrooms there are from 20 to 31 kcal.

Possible dangers

Boletus mushrooms do not belong to products that cause severe allergic reactions. But still, people prone to allergies, it is better not to abuse the product.

It is also important to understand that mushrooms growing in polluted areas or along roads are dangerous (even if they are edible). They, like a sponge, are able to absorb toxic substances from the air and soil. Therefore, if possible, it is extremely important to pay attention to the area where the mushrooms grew.

Another danger is caused not by the boletus themselves, but by the inexperience of mushroom pickers. This edible mushroom is easily confused with poisonous bile. Outwardly, the double is very similar to the blackheads growing in the shade of birches, but the taste is very bitter and burning. The cap of this mushroom resembles a boletus or White mushroom, but the leg is different. In gall fungus, it is always covered with a mesh pattern.

Beneficial features:

1. Boletus, as a rich source of fiber, is an important component for improving digestion, as well as removing toxins from the body.
2. The high protein content makes mushrooms an indispensable product for children, bodybuilders (proteins contribute to rapid muscle growth).
3. The special composition of these mushrooms allows them to be attributed to the group. So, it can be argued that this product will protect against premature aging and the harmful effects of free radicals (and they, as scientists believe, are main reason cancer formation).
4. Bone health also directly depends on the amount of boletus in the diet. Being a source of phosphorus and calcium, mushrooms have a beneficial effect on bones, teeth and general health motor apparatus.
5. Due to the content of B vitamins, mushrooms have the best effect on the functioning of the nervous system.
6. The influence of this product on fluctuations in the blood of diabetics has been proven. Under the influence of the fungus, the glucose index stabilizes.

Boletus in cooking

These mushrooms are considered one of the most delicious (after white mushrooms, with which they are closely related), but during heat treatment they lose their white color and the flesh turns dark. Meanwhile, experienced chefs share a secret: in order to preserve the light tone of the boletus, it is enough to soak them before cooking in an acidic solution (c). After that, the mushrooms can be boiled, fried, stewed and not be afraid that they will turn black.

Boletus mushrooms are suitable as a filling for pies. They are extremely tasty salted or pickled. Dried ones make excellent mushroom sauces.

But when choosing boletus mushrooms for cooking, it is important to know that when fresh, these loose-fleshed mushrooms quickly become wormy. Therefore, do not leave them in the basket for a long time.

For this recipe you will need:

• mushrooms - 2.5 kg;
• 9 percent - one and a half glasses;
• sugar - 5 tsp;
• salt - 2.5 tsp;
• allspice - 5 pcs.;
• black peppercorns - 13 pcs.;
• bay leaf - 3-5 pieces;
• water - 3 glasses;
• onion - 1 pc.

How to cook

Boil peeled and washed mushrooms in water without salt and spices. Change the water twice during cooking. After boiling, cook for another 15 minutes, throwing onions into the pan (this will help to check the edibility of the mushrooms: if the onions remain transparent, then all the mushrooms in the pan are edible). Drain the mushrooms and again pour water, to which add salt. After boiling, cook for another 20 minutes. For the marinade, you will need water and vinegar, add chopped onion, salt, sugar, pepper, bay leaf to the mixture and bring everything together to a boil. Arrange the mushrooms in jars and pour over the hot marinade. Close tightly and leave overnight. Everything - the dish is ready to eat or in jars can wait for winter.

stewed mushrooms

Boletus mushrooms belong to those mushrooms that are especially tasty stewed or fried.

Another secret: the most delicious birch trees are obtained with. By the way, the famous French julienne in the classic version is made from boletus boletus.

For this dish, you will need mushrooms pre-boiled in salted water. When cool, fry in a pan and add the onion and carrots. When all the ingredients are ready, pour in a little sour cream, mix thoroughly and simmer under the lid for another 25 minutes. The finished dish goes well with almost any side dish.

How to grow your own

Given the high nutritional value, useful properties and excellent taste, it is no wonder that people are thinking about how to grow boletus in their own garden. It turned out that it is possible to do this, although it will take a little effort.

To begin with, it is important to choose the right place where "home" boletus will grow. It's better that it be open ground under the trees. Ideally, of course, these should be birch trees, but if they are not available, you can get by with traditional orchards. After that, you can go to the main:

1. Make a recess on 4 square meters with a depth of about 30 cm.
2. Cover the bottom with birch sawdust, birch bark or leaves. This layer should be no thinner than 10 cm.
3. Put a layer of humus taken from the forest mycelium on top.
4. The next layer is mycelium in grains, which is covered with sawdust or leaves (but the composition should be the same as that already used in the first layer).
5. Cover the landing site with a 5-centimeter layer of earth and pour warm rainwater.

You can count on the first harvest of homemade boletus in 3 months. Then, until October, every 2 weeks, pick mushrooms, so to speak, of our own production.

There is another way to plant mushrooms - without grain mycelium. To do this, take the caps of old mushrooms. Pour them in a wooden bowl with rainwater, leave for a day. After that, strain the mushrooms and pour the “bed” prepared according to the above described scheme with the resulting water. This method of "seeding" will give the first harvests only the following summer.

The main requirement for both methods of growing mushrooms is a wet bed. If the mycelium dries out, the mushrooms will die. Each time, harvesting, it is important to carefully water the "bed" with warm rain or well water.

Once upon a time, our ancestors ate mushrooms instead of meat for the period of fasting. This is what vegetarians do today. And as nutritionists agree, they are doing the right thing, because mushrooms are delicious foods that give a lot of useful substances throughout the year.

Boletus boletus is popularly known as birch and blackhead, this type of spongy cap mushrooms belongs to the genus Leccinum, or obabok (Leccinum) of the family Boletaceae.

The name of this fungus is “speaking”, and indicates that it forms mycorrhiza with birches, next to which it grows.

Characteristics of the boletus mushroom

Hat

The hat of the boletus is 4-12 cm in diameter, gray, brown or brownish, sometimes almost black. Its shape is like a swollen pillow.

pulp

The pulp is colored uniformly, in light colors, does not change color when broken.

Leg

The leg is 1.5-4 cm in diameter, white or grayish in color, scaly, tapering upwards.

Boletus boletus are widespread in the countries of Eurasia, as well as in Northern and South America. They are inhabitants of deciduous forests, growing in birch groves.

The picking season for boletus begins at the end of June and continues until the beginning of November.

All boletus mushrooms are edible mushrooms, some species differ slightly in nutritional qualities. These mushrooms contain vitamins such as vitamin B1, B2, PP and vitamin C.

In cooking, boletus mushrooms are used in fried, boiled and pickled form, they are also harvested for future use by drying. When dried, the mushroom turns black.

Boletus mushrooms are used as a filling for pizza, pie, roll, as a base for sauces and in powder form. These mushrooms go well with potatoes, buckwheat, lentils, carrots, cabbage, peppers.

Boletus mushrooms are forbidden to be eaten by people with ulcers of the gastrointestinal tract, with individual intolerance and children.

Types of boletus mushroom

The hat is from white to dark gray and black, in a young mushroom it is white below, in a mature mushroom it is grayish-brown. Leg thickened at the bottom, white, covered with scales. The pulp is white, does not change color when broken.

It grows in birch groves from the first half of summer to autumn, as well as in the tundra and forest-tundra. Found in Eurasia, North and South America.

An edible mushroom, it is used in food in fried, boiled, dried and pickled forms.

The hat is 7-14 cm in diameter, at first hemispherical in shape, with an edge curved at the bottom, later cushion-shaped. The surface is uneven, wrinkled, velvety. The skin is dry, matte, in wet weather it becomes shiny, olive-brown. The flesh is white, soft in the cap, fibrous in the stalk, becoming pinkish-violet in the cut and gradually almost black. Leg 5-13 cm long, about 4 cm in diameter, cylindrical in shape, with a club-shaped thickening at the bottom. The color of the stem is olive-gray above, brownish below, the surface is scaly.

Mycorrhiza forms with hornbeam, hazel, poplar. It grows in deciduous forests of Eurasia. The season is June-October.

Edible mushroom, poorly stored.

The cap is 6-15 cm in diameter, in young mushrooms it is hemispherical in shape, with age it becomes convex, cushion-shaped, the center is depressed. The skin is slightly pubescent or scaly, in mature mushrooms it is naked, smooth, matte, becomes slimy in wet weather. The color of the cap is grey-brown to reddish-brown, darkening with age. The flesh is firm, white, yellowish-green at the base of the stem, turning pink or red when broken. It has a pleasant taste and a slight mushroom smell. Leg 5-16 cm in height, 1-3.5 cm in thickness, cylindrical or spindle-shaped, pointed at the base, solid, whitish or cream above, brownish, scaly below.

Occurs from late July to mid-November in deciduous and mixed forests, mycorrhizal former with aspen and poplars. Rare view.

Edible mushroom with firm flesh. Used for fresh and dried food.

The hat is about 16 cm in diameter, convex or cushion-shaped. Light, whitish or pale brown, dry surface. The pulp is white, soft, greenish, watery. Does not change color on the cut, taste and smell are not expressed. The leg is long, thin, white or grayish in color.

Mycorrhiza forms with birch, grows near swamps, in damp birch and mixed forests. The fruiting season starts in July and lasts until the end of September.

An edible mushroom, with loose, strongly boiled pulp, young mushrooms are eaten.

Hat 5-9 cm in diameter, dark brown or black. The leg is scaly.

It grows in pine and birch forests, in damp places, in swamps. Distributed in Eurasia, from Western Europe to Eastern Siberia. The collection season is July-September.

The cap is convex, later becomes cushion-shaped, about 15 cm in diameter. The skin is dry, from gray-brown to black, decorated with a light marble pattern. The pulp is white, dense, turns pink on the cut. The stalk is long, thin, thickens towards the base, sometimes curved.

It grows in damp birch forests, in separate groups, in Eurasia and North America. Fruits in June-October.

Edible mushroom, used fresh for food, suitable for drying and pickling.

The cap is hemispherical in young mushrooms, later becomes cushion-shaped, 5-15 cm in diameter. The skin is dry, smooth, sometimes felty, cracking, yellow-brown. The pulp is light yellow in color, soft, on the cut it first turns red or brown, then blackens. Leg 5-12 cm high, 1-3 cm thick, cylindrical or club-shaped thickened downwards, yellowish, scaly.

Grows next to beeches and oaks in warm regions of Europe, singly or in groups. The harvest season runs from June to September.

Edible mushroom, used fresh, dried, pickled. Blackens during drying.

The cap is convex or pillow-shaped. The skin is light brown, darkens with age, the surface is smooth. The pulp is white, turns pink on the cut. The leg is long, thin, light with dark scales.

Occurs in autumn in birch groves of Eurasia.

Edible mushroom.

Outwardly, it resembles a common boletus. The hat of this species is motley, dirty brown. The pulp is white, turns pink on the cut. The leg is white with a light blue tint, scaly.

Edible mushroom.

Poisonous and inedible species of boletus mushroom

The cap diameter is 4-10 cm, the shape is hemispherical, later round-cushion-shaped or prostrate, the surface is dry, pubescent or velvety, later smooth, from yellow-brown to gray or brown. The pulp is white, reddens when cut. The smell is not expressed, the taste is bitter. Leg 3-12.5 cm in height, 1.5-3 cm in thickness, cylindrical or club-shaped, expanding downwards, fibrous, cream-ocher, yellowish, reticulate.

The cosmopolitan mushroom grows in coniferous and deciduous forests on all continents, both singly and in groups. The fruiting season is June-October.

Young gall fungus is confused with white fungus and boletus. It differs from the latter in the absence of scales on the leg.

Inedible mushroom.

Boletus spores are poorly separated from the pulp. Therefore, a solution is prepared from one part of the pulp and 100 parts of water, which is poured over the opened birch roots. After that, the roots are additionally moisturized.

In the dry season, the soil is regularly sprayed with a spray bottle. Watering is carried out in the afternoon, when the sun's rays do not fall on the boletus. Humidification is also necessary immediately after the first fruiting bodies appear. Water the bed with plain water daily. The first crop is harvested one year after sowing.

Calorie boletus mushroom

100 g of fresh mushroom contains 31 kcal. Energy value:

• Proteins, g:…………………2.3
• Fats, g……………………..0.9
• Carbohydrates, g……………….3.7

• In folk medicine, boletus is used to treat diseases of the nervous system, kidney disease, as well as to regulate blood sugar levels.
• Fresh boletus is recommended for inclusion in the diet of those who lose weight, as mushrooms are a low-calorie product.